Flush wall switch



June 22 1926.

L. A. KEMPTON FLUSHA WALL SWITCH Filed Sept. 27. 1924 Patented diane UNITED QETFECE..

LESLIE A. Karrieren, or Blaine-nrcan oonnicrrcnn Asssfnon To GENERAL Enne- 'rnc contraria', a conroaarron or nsw Yoan.

rLUsi-i wenn swrrcri.

.pplieatien filed September 2'?, Serial 740,411.

l The present invention relates 'to electric switches and more especially to switches for use connection with house wiring 'systems of the flush wall type and adapted to be installed mortises cut into the plastered wall with only the flush wall plates and Vthe operating means outside the face thereof.

order to conserve to the 'utmost the floor space in dwelling` houses and otiice buildings, the partition wall have been reduced in thickness, so much so that the flush switches heretofore on the market, if installed in one plasteredsurface thereof, would extend throughand outside the oppositie plastered surface.

-The ob 'ect of my invention is the `production of an improved flush wall switch which shall be adapted for installation in thin house partitions, which shall be adapted to break full capacity circuits, which shall be adapted to withstand continued rough tisage, and which may be manufactured at low cost. n Qne embodiment of the invention is shown r in the accompanyingdrawing, Iin which Fig.

1 is a p erspeetive view of the base and wire connectors; Fig'. 2 is a similar View of the switch mechanism detached from the base; Fig.l 3 is a similar view of a cardboard protector for the switch mechanismglli 91. 4 a side elevationof the switch frame; Fig. .5 is alongitudinal section of the complete lflush switch; Fig.. (Slis a rear elevation of the switch mechanism, and Figs. 7 8 and 9 are perspective views of detail parts.

The base 1 is in the form of a shallow box of insulating material, such as porcelain, with means for attachment of electric wires thereto consisting of metal plates 2 secured to the'bause by lscrews 5% and each ,provided witha binding screw 4 and a stationary switcheontacte, The depth of the base 1 'for the ,construction of switches for use on Q rdinaryhouse circuits only one inch, whereas switches heretofore on the market Vhaveranged from wone and fiveLeig'hths inches to .overtwo inches in depth. The main frame of the switch mechanism comprises a sheet metal bridge member 6 extending longitudinally of the box and attached to theend walls thereof by screws 7.

ends of the bridge pieces are provided 'fth the usual screw holes 8 and positioning sion-s 9. Adiacent its middle the bridge passage of the push buttons 11 and at cpposite edges of the middle are webs 12 bent back at a right angle thereto. In orderY to render the frame rigid despite the large amount of metal removed incident to the formation of the apertures 10, i extend the webs integrally about the holes in crownshaped ianges 18. Both webs 12 are shaped as indicated in Fig'. 4l with wide rear ends provided with spaced stop shoulders 1li, while.theintermediate `waist pertion is provided with anopen slot 15 and an aperture y16 forthe rocker lshaft 17. The slot is so formednat its forward part as to provide spaced stop shoulders 18 symmetrically disposed with relation tothe shaft aperture 16, while its rearward part is provided with an aro-shaped bearing' 19 in the horizontal plane of the shaft aperture.

@wing to the necessity of conserving depth space, the rocker shaft 17 is located adjacent the main portion of the bridge 6 and the switch-actuating rocker 20 is in consequence designed to operate very close to the bridge 6. rlfhe actuating` rocker 2O is shaped as indicated in Figs. 5 and 7 from sheet metal with triangularly-shaped side portions 21 integrally .connected at the wider or front ends by transverse straps or shoulders 22 of a length to permit the rocker to be assembled in the space between the side webs 12 of the bridge and each side portion 21 is provided at its middle front edge'with an aperturcd lug` 23' adapted toengage the shaft 17 and at its rear ved'gewitli an open key hole slot 242 for the pivotal reception therein of thespringthrust lplate 25. The side portions 21 of thea'ctuating rocker are also provvidedat their centers with struck up stop lugs 26 Yadapted toproject ashort distancejoutside the sidewebs ll2'of the bridge member and to Aengage Aat the ends of the opposite movement df the rocker with stop sh'oul ders 18. Y

The spring 27 for,v producing` thek snap movement is ifA the ordinary helical 'compression typeaiid is assembled about a guide rod 28 and thriistinn at its rear end against a step plate 29 lifted transversely upon the guide rod ,a short distance from the end thereof indicated Fig. 5, whileits `forward end thrusts against thel spring plate provided with acentral aperture th ough which the '0 id od 28 'clays and hav at the key hole slots 24 at the rear end of the actuating rocker 20.

The driven rocker 31 is also of sheet metal bent U-shape and of a width to be assembled outside the webs 12 of the bridge member 6. Each leg of the rocker 31 has at its free end a semi-cylindrical pivot 32 forced inwardly and adapted to engage the arc-shaped bearings 19 in the bridge webs 12. r1`he ends of the legs are bifurcated to provide horns 33 at opposite sides and forward of the pivots 32 adapted to be engaged by the lugs 26 of the actuating rocker 2O to positively start the actuated rocker 31 in case of sticking thereof. One or both of the legs of the driven rocker 31 has posts 34 bent outwardly from its edges opposite the pivot 32 and on these posts the switch blade 35 is secured with intervening insulation 36. rlhe connecting member of the U-shaped rocker 31 is adapted to engage the respective stop shoulders 14 at the ends of its swing and limit the extent of movement of the switch blade 35 and is centrally apertured 'for the reception of the rear or pivotal end of the guide rod 28 of the snap spring.

In order that the push buttons 11 may move tangentially to the arcs of movement of the ends of the actuating rocker 2O and, owing to the necessary proximity of the pivotal axis 17 of the rocker to the bridge member G, special means of engaging the buttons 11 with the rocker 2O are provided. Each button 11 comprises an insulating outer portion with a metal shank 37 secured to the rear end thereof and provided with a siee lug 38 disposed partly` within the insulating` outer portion and partly in rear thereof and in this side lug is alf-shaped slot with the mouth adjacent and adapted to receive th eroin a transverse shoulder or strap 22 of the actuating rocker 2O so that throughout the trav-el thereof there is no cramping of the parts upon each other nor is there lost motion between them.

To provide against undue tilting of the push buttons, particularly in their outer positions, a freely rocking guide plate 39 is provided for the inner end of each shank 3T. rl`he guide plates 39 have central guide apertures corresponding to the cross sectional shape of the shank and each is provided at its ends with pivots 40 adapted to be received in apertures 41 in the opposite webs 12 of the bridge member 6.

As a means for protecting the switch mechanism from the entrance of foreign matter and persons from injury from electric arcing when the face plate 42 is unattached and to prevent an arcing current beingrshort circuited by the face plate when the latter is attached to the switch, I provide a cardboard protector 43 adapted to cover the base 1 and the parts contained herein, except the wire terminals 2 which 1,5so,ose

are necessarily left uncovered to permit of attachment of the wires without interference with the protector. The ends o1" the protector are provided with projecting lugs 44 and these are adapted to be embraced and securely held to the bridge G by soft metal clips 45, as shown in Fig. 2, each having a central eye 46 therein and disposed with the central portion between the base and bridge member where it is bound by the attachment screw 7, while the outer ends 47 are designed to fold over the lugs 44. In case it becomes necessary to remove the protector 43 for any reason, the clip ends 47 are easily bent out and the protector removed without injury.

The `flush wall plate 42 is of usual construction and is secured to the bridge member 6 by screws 48.

lVhile I have shown and described the best embodiment of the invention known to me, I do not desire to be restricted thereto.

What I claim as new and desire to secure b v Letters Patent of the United States is:

.1. A two button electric switch having a bridge member provided with passageways for the buttons and integral side webs bent into parallelism from opposite sides of the center thereof and said side webs having arcuate extensions about said passageways.

2. A two button electric switch having a bridge member provided with passageways for the buttons and integral webs extending in parallelism from opposite edges thereof, push buttons having Shanks movable between said side webs and guide plates for said shanks freely pivoted to said side webs.

3. An electric switch having a bridge member provided with button passageways, push buttons provided with Shanks having V notches formed therein, an actuating rocker pivoted in'imediately adjacent to said bridge member between said passagevays and comprising two side members connected by two flat straps in the plane of its pivot adapted to enter the notches of said Shanks, and means for guiding the in ner ends of said Shanks.

4. An electric switch having` a bridge member, parallel side webs connected to said bridge member and provided with open slots forming at their front ends spaced shoulde"s and. at their rear ends arcuate bearings7 an actuating rocker pivoted between said side webs adjacent the bridge member and having stop lugs adapted to engage said shoulders, an actuated rocker of U shape disposed outside of said webs and provided with crown flanges adapted to enter said arcuate bearings, and spring means between said rockers.

5. An electric switch having a bridge member, parallel side webs connected to said member and provided 'with slots having spaced stops, an actuating rocker pivoted between said webs adjacent said bridge mem 1,5eo,ess

ber and having` stop lugs extending through said Web Slots, an actuated rocker of U shape pivoted outside said Webs and having the ends of its legs bi'furcated to straddle said stop lugs, and spring means connecting the free ends ot said rockers.

6. An electric switch having an open sided base, a bridge member attached to said base over the opening therein, flexible clips secured between said bridge member and said base, and a protector of sheet material overlying the open side of said base and detaehably secured to said bridge by said ilexible clips.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day oit September, 1924.

LESLIE A. KEMPTON. 

